See Also: human immunodeficiency virus(medicine)
Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)(health)
simian immunodeficiency virus(medicine)
immunodeficiency virus, bovine(medicine)
immunodeficiency virus, feline(medicine)
feline immunodeficiency virus(medicine)
bovine immunodeficiency virus(medicine)
virus, human papilloma(medicine)
human T lymphotrophic virus(medicine)
herpes virus 7, human(medicine)

human immunodeficiency virus (medicine)


human immunodeficiency virus
<virology> A type of retrovirus (human immunodeficiency virus) that is responsible for the fatal illness acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. Two strains have been identified.

Type 1: the retrovirus recognised as the agent that induces AIDS.

Type 2: a virus closely related to HIV-1 that also leads to immune suppression. HIV-2 is not as virulent as HIV-1 and is epidemic only in West Africa.

Acronym: HIV